AOPL SUPPORTS SENATE CROSS-BORDER PERMITTING REFORM BILL

June 14, 2018

Press Release

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Association of Oil Pipe Lines (AOPL) expressed support for the Senate-introduced North American Energy Infrastructure Act, S. 3056, which would reform the historically delay-plagued cross-border permitting program for energy infrastructure, such as pipelines.

“Permanently reforming the cross-border permitting process will ensure future American workers benefit from good-paying pipeline infrastructure jobs and American consumers benefit from additional supplies of energy,” said Andy Black, AOPL President and CEO.

The bill, introduced this week by Senator John Hoeven, provides much needed statutory authority and accountability from Congress for the cross-border permit review and approval process, ensuring projects are reviewed in a timely manner after all appropriate land and environmental reviews are completed. Projects reviewed by the previous administration under Presidential executive order faced years of unnecessary delay. While the process is temporarily improved under this administration, permanent reform is needed to ensure future generations of Americans benefit from pipeline infrastructure projects.

Under this bill, all existing laws and environmental review requirements are left untouched and in place. The bill merely ensures that after all applicable current reviews are completed, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) conduct and complete a national interest determination for liquid pipeline border crossings within 90 days. FERC already reviews and issues approvals for natural gas pipeline border crossings and does so in a timely and efficient manner.